Wow the team is coming together under Brian Shaw. I love how he uses so much of the bench! Do you think we'll take a step backwards when JaVale McGee comes back? We don't miss him much I'm sorry to say! Why has Nate Robinson been on so many teams? He's a big asset!-- Steve, Los Angeles

There is no doubt that, as the Nuggets continue to win games with JaVale McGee off the court, there will be more pressure on him to fit himself into what the Nuggets are accomplishing -- and not the other way around, when he returns.

The team won't take a step back because I don't think they'll just hand him a starting role and 30 minutes a game right off the bat. Coach Brian Shaw is big on "going with" things that are working until they're no longer working.

And if the Nuggets are playing well without McGee, he'll have to work his way back into the rotation.

Hey Chris, when do you think Danilo Gallinari and JaVale McGee will return to the court?-- Jim, Broomfield

The short answer to that is, who knows? I talked to Gallinari before Thanksgiving and, without giving any timetables, he said he's a long way away from returning.

Now, he has been steadily doing more and more, but he hasn't started running yet. When he does, then a clearer time-frame will fall into place. But don't expect to see him until after the New Year.

As for McGee, he's still on the bone stimulator machine, helping to heal a stress fracture. He's really not doing much of anything with his lower body right now. Just like with Gallo, he's not even begun running. Stress fractures can take weeks to heal; I probably wouldn't look for McGee until the end of the month or the New Year, either.

Didn't notice that Corey Brewer was gone from the Nuggets until they played the Timberwolves. Why did they trade Corey? He is and was a good player and could have added a lot to their offense.-- Clyde Henkelman, Northglenn

The Nuggets did not trade Corey Brewer, they simply let him go as an free agent after last season.

The long and short of it is Brewer did not fit into their long-term plans so they did not want to sign him to any kind of extension. They opted to add Randy Foye, more of a pure shooter, instead. The move has worked out great for Brewer. He's thriving in Minnesota, playing really well for the franchise that drafted him out of college.

What happened to this years draft picks? Do you think Coach Shaw intends to continue the eleven man rotation? Also do you see any drawbacks to that approach?-- Bruce Washburn, Seguim, Wash.

The Nuggets acquired guard Erick Green and center Joffrey Lauvergne, both in the second round, on draft night. Both players are playing overseas.

There was never any room for additional players on a roster full of guaranteed contracts. Green is playing for Montepaschi Siena of the Italian League. Lauvergne is playing for BC Partizan NIS of the Adriatic League in Serbia. As of Dec. 3, he was averaging 12.8 points (the team's third-leading scorer) and 6.9 rebounds for the team.